Potato-sorting device



Patented F eb. 16, 1926.

PATENT FFICE.

THOMAS PRESCOTT, OF STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA.

POTATO-SORTING DEVICE.

Application filed November 28, 1924. Serial N 0. 752,602.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS PRESCOTT, a citizen of the United States of America, residin at Stockton, county of San Joaquin, tate of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Potato-Sorting Devices; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had 7 to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this application.

This invention relates to improvements to be used in connection with the sorting of potatoes as they come from the field and before they are finally sacked. It is customary and necessary to thus inspect and sort'potatoes for rots and to remove any such rots from the remainder of the potatoes before the latter are finally sacked and shipped.-

At present, as far as I am aware, such sor'L- ing necessitates the handling and turning over by hand of each and every potato, good or bad. As a result sorting is a lengthy and laborious job, entailing the use of a good number of men if a large bulk of hotatoes is being handled, and being as a consequence somewhat costly.

The principal object of my invention therefore is to provide a device which will eliminate hand picking of all potatoes but those to be removed, while insuring that no rots will be overlooked if the Sorters exercise watchfulncss; The device will also enable sorting to be very expeditiously done and with but the use of a very few sorters for a given quantity of potatoes compared with what is necessary with present methods.

I have also provided a device which avoids the use of power driven mechanisms of any kind, and which can be easily handled by mechanically unskilled labor.

Briefly I provide a sorting table of such size that a sack load of potatoes dumped thereon will spread thereover in a single layer; a means for enabling the potatoes on the table to be all reversed in position or turned upside-down at a single operation; and a discharge chute leading from the table to a receiving sack. In this manner the potatoes may be inspected on both sides without turning them over individually by hand, and may then be sacked without further handling being necessary.

A further object of the invention is to 5 produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purposes for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of 00 such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in c the several views:

Fig. 1 is a side section of the device.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section enlarged showing the two sorting tables supported together from a common trunnion.

Fig. 4c is a fragmentary cross section on the line d-iof Fig. 3.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the numeral 1 denotes a plurality of main frame uprights of suitable height and outlining a rectangular area. Horizontal beams 2 extend between the side pairs of the uprights 1 about half way up the same. so "his structure may be considered as the main frame. At the front of and outside of said main frame is an extension frame 23 having sides 4c enclosing a rectangular area.

Pr receiving table 5 is disposed between said 3:, sides and is mounted for tipping movement toward the main frame on a horizontal shaft 6 supported on the extension frame 3. This table is normally held from tipping by suitable latch means 7 releasable at will, and its tipping movement toward the main frame is limited by fixed stop means 8 on which the rear end of the table rests when tipped.

Jonrnaled in the cross beams 2, which are lower than the stop 8, are opposed trunnions 9 carrying discs 10 having diametrally opposed slots 11 which norn'ially lie in a vertical plane. The peripheries of the discs are mainly surrounded by rigid collars 12 fixed on the beams 2, the collars terminating short of the upper slots 11 so that the latter are freely open from above.

A sorting table 13 extends between the discs and from front to rear of the area outlined by the uprights 1. This table has a centrally disposed shaft 1 1 which projects beyond the sides of the table and fits easily in the slots 11 resting on the collars 12.

Automatically released stop means 15 are disposed at the front of the table to prevent downward tipping thereof. The rear end of the table is similarly prevented from tipping down by manually movable stops 16, one on each side of the table adjacent the rear end thereof. The stops 15 are suitably mounted in connection with the main frame 1 and the stops 16 are preferably mounted on the cross beams 2 and operable from beyond the sides thereof.

The table 13 has shallow sides 17 except along its rear edge. A fixed strip 18 extending between the adjacent uprights 1 just above the table takes the place of a rear edge side piece when the table is in a hori zontal position.

The table-is adapted to be tilted down at its rear end until-it abuts against hand releasable steps 19 positioned so that the adjacent edge of the table is then about in line with a slope discharge chute 20 extending outwardly from and beyond the main frame 1 for a suitable distance. This chute,

"at its end nearest the sorting table, is the same width as'the latter, but at its lower end the chute narrows down to the width of a standard potato sack 21 so as to discharge into the same when said chute receives petatoes from the sorting table as the sorting operations are completed.

' Normally supported on top of the uprights 1 and lowerable therefrom by hand at will is another table 13, an exact duplicate of the table 13 but disposed in inverted and opposed relation thereto. The shaft 1 1 of this table when lowered fits the upper slots 11 of the'discs 10, said upper table being adapted to rest on the potatoes on the lower table, as indicated in Fig.4, so that the shaft 14* will probably be disposed intermediate the ends of the slots. Each table has vertical rods 22 at the corners or elsewhere adapted to project into holes 23 in the other table when the two tables are brought together. These rods however can be omitted if desired.

In operation the table 13 at the outset is mounted on top of the uprights 1 as shown in Fig. 1, with the tables 5 and 13 horizontally disposed and held from tilting. A sack load of potatoes is then dumped onto the table 5 from the front end thereof so that the greater weight of the potatoes will be on the rear end of the table. On releasing the latch 7, the table 5 will then tilt to discharge its contents onto the table 13. The table 5 will then return to a horizontal position of itself, since it is so mounted on the shaft 6 that its weight is somewhat greater at the front end.

The potatoes will distribute themselves, with little if any hand manipulation being necessary, in a single layer over the surface of the table 13. The sorters, prefe ably two on each side of the table, can then readily spot and pick out any rots visible to them.

The table 13 is then lowered in a position until it rests on the potatoes on the table 13. The difference in height of potatoes at one end or the other may cause the tables to seat at a slight slant relative to each other, but the rods and holes therefor have such a loose fit that this makes no difference.

The stops '16 and 19 are then withdrawn, and the tables are given a rapid twirl in a left hand or countercloek-wisedirection un til the position of the tables is reversed and the table 13 is undermost.

The stop 16 is then slid under the table to prevent further movement thereof. The stop 15 is preferably in the form of a spring pressed pawl, which automatically prevents the tilting of the table down at that end thereof allowing it to move up past the same from underneath. r

This reversing operation of the tables having been carried out the table 13 is then uppermost and is removed from contact with the potatoes by merely raising the same 1 until it rests on the top of the uprights 1 in the same position originally occupied by the table 13. The sorters new again examine the potatoes on the table, since all of the potatoes are now in positionsthe reverse of that originally had. In other words the turning of the tables upside down will also cause the potatoes to be similarly turned.

After the sorting is complete the stops 16 are withdraw and the stops 19 shoved out. The sorting table is then lowered, at its rear end to engage said stops 19. The table having no side piece along its rear edge and being then below the fixed strip 18, the po tatoes are free to roll 0d said table and on the chute 20 to the sack. The sorting table is then restored to a horizontal position ready for another load.

hen the tables are being given the reversing or twirling movement the potatoes will not drop out, since the sides thereon approach each other sufficiently to prevent any potatoes passing therebetween. Further the speed with which said twirling operation is preferably carried on is such as to also tend to prevent any dropping movement of the potatoes from being had.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that T have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein While this'specitication sets'forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the, device, still in practice such dev1- ations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure froni'the spirit of the invention,'as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: g

1. A potato sorting device including a sorting table onto which the potatoes to be sorted are deposited, another sorting table adapted to be lowered into engagement with the potatoes on the first table, and turnable members mounted in a fixed position relative to each other and in which both said tables are mounted only when said tables are in potato engaging relation whereby to enable the tables to be turned as a unit with the axis of said members as the center of rotation.

2. A potato sorting device including a V sorting table onto which the potatoes to be sorted are deposited, another sorting table adapted to be lowered into engagement with the potatoes on the first table, turnable members with which the first table is opcratively connected whereby to enable the table to be turned with the rotation of said members, means whereby said other table when lowered will also become operatively connected with said turnable members whereby both tables may be rotated as a unit, and reversed in position, and means whereby the table then uppermost can be removed from said members but the under table is prevented from removal.

A potato sorting device including a sorting table onto which the potatoes to be sorted are deposited, another sorting table adapted to be lowered into engagement with the potatoes on the first table, means for enabling the tables being turned as a unit to cause the positions of the tables to be reversed, said tables being duplicates of each other, and releasable stop means normally acting on whichever table is undermost, to

prevent rotation thereof.

4. A potato sorting device including a sorting table, turnable discs independent thereof mounted in a fixed plane in opposed relation to each other at the sides of the table, each disc having a radial slot normalend thereof.

6. A. potato sorting device including a sorting table, turnable discs independent thereof mounted in a fixed plane in opposed relation to each other at the sides of the table, each disc having a radial slot therein, a shaft on the table projecting into the slots and turnable therein, but normally prevented from withdrawal therefrom whereby said discs and table may be turned as a unit and the table may also be tilted about its shaft as an axis without disturbing the discs.

7. A potato sorting device including a sorting table onto which the potatoes to be sorted are deposited, another sorting table adapted to be lowered into engagement with the potatoes on the first table, means for enabling the tables being turned as aunit to cause the position of the tables to be reversed, and means whereby until the tables are in substantially horizontal planes they cannot be separated from each other.

8. A potato sorting device including a sorting table onto which the potatoes to be sorted are deposited, another sorting table adapted to be lowered into engagement with the potatoes on the first table, turnable members mounted in a fixed plane in which both said tables are then mounted whereby to enable the tables to be turned as a unit with the axis of said members as the center of revolution, and means whereby the tables cannot be moved away from each other until they are in substantially horizontal planes and then only the uppermost table can be thus moved.

9. A potato sorting device including a sorting table on which the potatoes to be sorted are deposited, another sorting table adapted to be lowered into engagement with the potatoes on the first table, turnable elements mounted in a fixed plane and with which both tables are then engaged so as to turn therewith as a unit, and means associated with said elements whereby only the table which is uppermost can be removed from said elements.

10. A potato sorting device including a sorting table onto which the potatoes to be sorted are deposited, pivoted means inde pendent of said table with which said table is then operatively connected to enable the same to be rotated about said pivoted means as an axis, another sorting table adapted to be lowered into engagement with the potatoes on the first table, and means whereby said last named table will then be autoinatically and operatively connected ith from the tables but associated therewith said pivoted means to enable both tables to when saidtables are in such relationship for 19 be rotated as a unit. enabling vthem to be turned as a unit, and

11. A potato sorting device including a means enabling only that table which is sorting table onto which the potatoes to be uppermost to be ithdrawn from the other sorted are deposited, another sorting table table and from association with said means. adapted to be lowered into engagement with In testimony whereof signature. the potatoes on the first table, means separate PRESCOTT; 

